Metal working apparatus



June 16, 1936. 5 BULLARD 2,044,495

METALWORK I NG APPARATUS Filed Jan. 31, 1935 IN V EN TOR.

EDWARD [ZEULLAPJJ AT RNEY Patented June 16, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE METAL WORKING APPARATUS necticut Application January 31, 1935,Serial No. 4,208

'16 Claims.

The invention relates to an apparatus for turning metal and isparticularly designed to carry out the method and utilize the tooldisclosed in my co-pending application entitled, Metal 6 working, SerialNumber 4,207, filed January 81,

It is, therefore, among the general objects of thepresent invention toprovide a simple, eflicient and durable machine of the character setforth;

mands of economic manufacture and operation.

Another object is to provide a metal working apparatus which is designedto provide for metal turning with maximum power efiiciency and maximumuniformity of high adherence to standards of work surface accuracy.

Another object is to provide in an apparatus embodying the abovefeatures finishing means for insuring appropriate coordination of therate of tool movement with the speed of rotation of the work surface tothe end that uniformity of surface finish, constant load and chatterlessoperation will result.

Still another object is to provide an apparatus which will be assurednot only of efficient means for coordinating the rate of the toolmovements with the work rotation, but which will provide, as well,eficient means for varying the rotation of tool movements withoutdisturbing the coordination between the tool movements and the workrotation.

More specifically the invention aims to provide a machine structureadapted to rotate on its own axis, at high speed, a work piece uponwhich is to 35 be formed a concentric surface and to subject the portionof the work to be so formed, to the action of successive blades, by areciprocating motion of a tool block therefor.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear from thefollowing detailed explanation of the same when taken in conjunctionwith the accompanying drawing. It will be understood that the embodimentof the invention herein disclosed is merely by way of illustration, theinventive concept being adapted to numerous changes and modifications,and the full use of equivalents, which may be resorted to in carryingout the invention and for adapting it to various types of work.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a tool block adapted to be used as a partof the apparatus of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical plan partly in section of the complete apparatus.

and one particularly designed to meet the de- (01. sa-v) Fig. 3 is adetailed view showing a substitute type of tool; and

Fig. 4 is a similar view of another'type of tool.

Referring to Fig. 1, the apparatus is designed for using a tool of thegeneral characteristics shown. The tool includes a base block 40 havingmounted therein the blade units 4|, each of which includes blade edges42, which will extend above the preceding edge on the right to form awhole series of stepped blades, each of which is adapted to remove agiven amount of material. By this arrangement a single pass of such atool across the work may be made to reduce a total amount of materialequalling the sum of the steps of the several blades. A set of finishingblade edges 43 may also be mounted in the base 40. They are shown asbeing formed integral with a finishing blade block 44. The finishingblades are of the character and form of blades 42, although they mayconveniently be of less depth since they will be called upon to removeonly a small amount of metal. As distinct from blades 42, thesefinishing blades are preferably of equal height and are used not forcutting successively deeper, but for insuring a smooth finish. They arepreferably spaced in accordance with a formula so that relay actionthereof will result in the removal of all revolution marks. If desired,the blade pieces may be adjustable and may be removably positioned inthe base 40, or may be permanently secured therein or formed integraltherewith. Obviously, the blade edges may depart from the rectilinear,if desired, so that they may act as contour cutters. The blades may alsobe set to have their cutting edges lie in a plane or planes at an angleto that of the axis of the work so as to perform taper turning.

By the use of this type of tool, it is possible to provide maximum toollife, since the burden on each blade may be relieved by the fact thatthe work is being operated upon by as many roughing cutters as may berequired and as many fi'nishing cutters as may be required, all in a.single pass of the tool. No one blade will thus be subjected tocontinuous action or overburdening by too deep a cut. Furthermore, froma single chucking of the work, the tool will operate to both rough andfinish the work at a single pass of one tool block.

For further desirable characteristics of blades preferably used in thistype of apparatus, reference may be had to my Patent, #1,899,608, issuedFebruary 28, 1933, entitled, Metal working, which is a detailedconsideration of the structure of such blades and their method ofoperation.

Referring more specifically to Fig. 2, the apparatus is provided with achuck 50 for rotating a work piece 5! at cutting speed; its spindledrive 52 may be driven through gears 53 from a suitable source of power,such as the pulley 54. Obviously the work holding chuck maybesubstituted by an equivalent fixture and the direct gear drive may besubstituted by other power transmitting means; the apparatus throughoutnot being confined to such structural details.

For reciprocating the tool-carrying table 55, upon which is mounted thetool block 56, a drive is taken from the spindle 52 by the worm 51 andthe worm-gear 58 mounted upon the shaft 59. The shaft 59 has looselymounted thereon bevelled pinions 60 and 6|, either of which may beclutched to the shaft 59 for rotation therewith by a double-ended clutch62 Thus, forward or reverse rotation from the shaft 59 may be impartedto an intermediate bevelled gear 62, and therefrom to the gears 63, theshaft 64, and thus to a table-driving gear 65 meshing with a table rack66.

Since the drive to the table is taken from the spindle shaft 52, it willbe seen that the table movements are, at all times, synchronized withthe speed of the work. The gears 53 preferably being change gears whichthus permit a variation in such synchronized speed without departingfrom the synchonization.

Thus, the apparatus provides means for rotating the work at cuttingspeed and for subjecting the work, while rotating, to the action of areciprocating cutter block having blades preferably of the type shown.The apparatus also provides means for maintaining synchronizationbetween the speed of rotation of the work and the speed of reciprocationof the table. It further provides means for varying the rate ofsynchronization. Obviously, modifications and refinements of themachine, such as automatic operations of the clutch and otherappropriate control means, are contemplated.

By referring to Figures 3 and 4, as well as Figure 2, it will be seenthat the invention is not confined to specific types of tools. In Fig. 2a forming type of tool is shown with which the finished work will take aconcentric form parallel to the characteristics of the blade edges. InFig. 3 is shown a tool for turning a plurality of spaced surfaces. Inthis instance, a plurality of sets of blades 61 are arranged tosimultaneously act on the spaced surfaces 68 of the work 69, each seriesof blades preferably having the characteristics of the block shown inFig. 1. Such an arrangement is particularly adapted for the turning ofspaced surfaces on cam shafts, crank shafts and the spaced surfaces ofgrooved pistons.

Referring to Fig. 4, a tool for turning a surface lll parallel to theaxis of rotation of the work and an adjacent surface H, at right angles,to the axis of rotation is illustrated. Thus, by one tool 12, the cheeksof a flange may be turned together with a surface substantially parallelto the axis of rotation of the work piece.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the invention provides a novel,simple and efficient apparatus particularly designed for using the toolshown and for carrying out the method in my co-pending application,entitled Metal working, Serial Number 4,207, filed January 31, 1935. Itwill be understood that the invention is not limited to thecharacteristics of the tool specified and that numerous changes,modifications, and the full use of equivalents, may be resorted to incarrying out the inventive concept without departure from the spirit. orscope of the appended claims.

Having set forth the nature of my invention, what I claim is:

1. An apparatus for working metal which includes means for rotating apiece of work, a tool block, means for moving the tool blocktransversely of the axis of rotation of the work, and a plurality ofblades carried in said tool block and disposed at a major angle withrespect to the axis of rotation of said work.

2. An apparatus for working metal which includes means for rotating apiece of work, a tool block, means for moving the tool blocktransversely of the axis of rotation of the work, and a plurality ofblades carried in said tool block and disposed at a major angle withrespect to the axis of rotation of said work, said blades being steppedto successively engage the work tangentially thereof at successivelyincreasing depths.

3. An apparatus for working metal which includes means for rotating apiece of work, a tool block, means for moving the tool blocktransversely of the axis of rotation of the work, and a plurality ofblades carried in said tool block and disposed at a major angle withrespect to the axis of rotation of said work, some of said blades beingstepped to successively engage the work tangentially thereof atsuccessively increasing depths while others of said'blades are of equalheight.

4. An apparatus for turning metal including a work spindle, a tool blockhaving a plurality of stepped roughing blades and a plurality ofunstepped finishing blades and means for moving the tool blocktransversely to the axis of rotation of the work whereby the blades willbe moved on a line tangent to the work surface, said means being drivenin synchronization with the rotation of the work.

5. An apparatus for turning metal including a work spindle, a tool blockhaving a plurality of stepped roughing blades and a plurality ofunstepped finishing blades, means for moving the tool block transverselyto the axis of rotation of the work whereby the bladeswill be moved on aline tangent to the work surface, said means being driven insynchronization with the rotation of the work and means for varying therate of 55 synchronization.

6. In a metal turning apparatus, a work holding chuck, a drivingconnection therefor, a multibladed tool block movable in a path by whichthe blades will be moved tangentially of the work surface, a drivingconnection therefor and means for operating one of the drivingconnections from the other driving connection.

7. In a metal turning apparatus, a work holding chuck, a drivingconnection therefor, a multibladed tool block movable in a path by whichthe blades will be moved tangentially of the work surface, a drivingconnection therefor and means for operating one of the drivingconnections from the other driving connection, said means being variableto change of synchronism therebetween.

8. A metal turning apparatus for turning a plurality of spaced surfaceson a work piece including a work holder adapted to be rotated and aplurality of spaced sets of stepped cutting blades,

one set for each surface to be turned, means for reciprocating the setsof blades in a path tangentially of the work surface and means forrotating the work at cutting speed, both of said means being driven froma single source of power.

9. A metal turning apparatus for turning a plurality of spaced surfaceson a work piece including a work holder adapted to be rotated and aplurality of spaced sets of stepped cutting blades, one set for eachsurface to be turned, means for reciprocating the sets of blades in apath tangentially of the work surface, means for rotating the work atcutting speed, both of said means being driven from a single source ofpower and means for varying the rate of reciprocation of the blades withrespect to the rate of rotation of the work.

10. A metal working apparatus for turning right angularly disposedsurfaces including a chuck for rotating the work, a multi-bladed toolhaving blades with right angularly disposed cutting edges, means iorreciprocating the tool so that said edges will engage both a cylindricaland a flanged portion of the work and means for rotating the work duringsuch reciprocation.

11. A metal working apparatus for turning right angularly disposedsurfaces including a chuck for rotating the work, a multi-bladed toolhaving blades with right angularly disposed cutting edges, means forreciprocating the tool so that said edges will engage both a cylindricaland a flanged portion of the work and means for rotating the work duringsuch reciprocation, both of said means receiving power from a singlesource.

12. A metal working apparatus for turning right angularly disposedsurfaces including a chuck for rotating the work, a multi-bladed toolhaving blades with right angularly disposed cutting edges and means forreciprocating the tool so that said edges will engage both a cylindricaland a flanged portion of the work and means for rotating the work duringsuch reciprocation, both of said means receiving power from a singlesource, and means for varying the speed of one means with respect tothat of the other.

13. A metal working apparatus, including means for rotating a workpiece, a tool block having a plurality of stepped roughing blades and aplurality of unstepped finishing blades, and means for continuouslymoving the tool block to subject the work while rotating to the cuttingaction of all the blades, said last mentioned means being driven fromthe work rotating means.

14. A metal working apparatus, including means for rotating a workpiece, a tool block having a plurality of stepped roughing blades and aplurality of unstepped finishing blades, and means for continuouslymoving the tool block to subject the work while rotating to the cuttingaction of all the blades, said last mentioned means being driven fromthe work rotating means through change gears to permit variations in therate of movement to the tool block with respect to the work.

15. In a machine tool, a bed with a reciprocating tool carrier mountedthereon, a work spindle, mounted therein, a plurality of stepped bladescarried by the tool block and adapted to be moved therewith in a pathtangential to work carried bythe work spindle and a reversible drivingconnection for the tool block and uni-directional driving connection forthe work spindle.

16. In a machine tool, a bed with a reciprocating tool carrier mountedthereon, a work spindle, mounted therein, a plurality of stepped bladescarried by the tool block and adapted to be moved therewith in a pathtangential to work carried by the work spindle, a reversible drivingconnection for the tool block and uni-directional driving connection forthe work spindle, said tool block connection being driven from said workspindle connection.

EDWARD C. BULLARD.

